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Alvechurch Women
Matches
Sun 02 Feb 2025
Alvechurch F.C.
Alvechurch Women
0
3
Shrewsbury Town Women
CHURCH SUFFER DEFEAT AT HOME...

CHURCH SUFFER DEFEAT AT HOME...

Paul Hasker3 Feb - 16:10

For the first time in four games at The Hayes, Church slip to defeat.

Coming into the game desperate to turn the tide on their season, Alvechurch Women were out to stop a Shrewsbury side that had been in decent form over their last few run of games. For the hosts, they had gone four unbeaten on home turf and without conceding a goal in their last two at The Hayes. So full of confidence that they could extend that run.

Whereas, for the visiting side, it was just one defeat in four for them as they looked to continue their resurgence up the table. They had the chance to move eight points clear of The Church, if they were to take all three points.

HOW IT UNFOLDED:
For large parts of this encounter, neither side really tested either goalkeeper as the game had that knife-edge feeling to it. However, the home team not looking themselves, making error after error. Sloppy pass after sloppy pass. A real out of sorts performance from the team in amber and black. Not very often you see what we were seeing.

Shrewsbury were being allowed time on the ball and an error-strewn performance was eventually going to lead to an opening goal if we didn't fix the details. Back-to-back defeats looking like it has knocked a slight bit of confidence out of the side. We were rocking, and living dangerously. But on 32 minutes, the deadlock was opened. A leggy opening half hour allowed the visitors to cash in to take the lead. Having been robbed of possession, the Shrewsbury attacker ghosted into the area. A shot from the angle of the 18-yard box was superb and it flew beyond Abby Dadson, who could do nothing about it and the away side led 1-0.

Again, not too much to split the two sides. But Church really struggling to get going. Normally, when a goal goes in, Davis' side awaken themselves to go again but Sunday afternoon had a different feeling about it. Credit to the away side, who applied a hell of a lot of pressure to rock the home team. A vital save at the end of the half from Dadson denied Shrewsbury a two-goal lead at the break.

HT: ALVECHURCH 0-1 SHREWSBURY TOWN

After the break, Church tried to lift their spirits and find a performance from somewhere. They were in a worse position last weekend and found their touch - so could history repeat itself or would Shrewsbury continue to build on their slight but comfortable lead?

The best opening of the game for Church arrived ten minutes into the half. A long ball found the feet of Lara Stevens, fresh from her brace last weekend, ran clean through. Instead of taking it closer to goal, her eyes lit up and opted to shoot from 25 yards out but the effort was all wrong and ended up going over the top of the crossbar.

On 66 minutes, the hosts' pressure was starting to crank up a notch. Beth Grady intercepted the ball before driving forward with purpose and power. She looked up and took on the strike from long range but in the end was comfortable for the goalkeeper as she gathered the ball right down her throat.

Two minutes later, Dadson produced an absolutely wonderful save. A sweet strike on the edge of the area was heading for the top corner but our number one flew across the face of her goal to tip the effort onto the top of the crossbar to keep us in the contest. From the resulting corner, Shrewsbury doubled the lead. A glancing header was flicked on and found the far corner, leaving Dadson stranded.

In the space of four minutes, Town would felt they should have added to the score-line. A delightful cross into the area flashed beyond everyone in the 6-yard area - any touch, and it goes in. Close. The second of the two opportunities was almost inch-perfect. Again, architects of their own downfall. The home side guilty of giving the ball away gifted the ball to the striker, who saw Dadson off her line from 30 yards out, and her brilliant chipped effort hit the outside of the post before the follow-up was skewed over the top.

Living dangerously and not like us at all in this one.

On 78 minutes, it was game over, well and truly. A corner was cleared as far as 30 yards out and the midfielder stepped in. She opted to hit the effort from some way out but she didn't regret it as it flew into the back of the net before Dadson could even react ensuring Church' first defeat at home in 2025.

FT: ALVECHURCH 0-3 SHREWSBURY TOWN

Match details

Match date

Sun 02 Feb 2025

Kickoff

15:00
Further reading